


Forever Tuesday Morning

by Alexandria (heartfullofelves)



Category: Humans (TV)
Genre: Crack Treated Seriously, F/F, Morning After, Time Loop, s02e01
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-15
Updated: 2017-10-15
Packaged: 2019-01-17 12:40:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12365991
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heartfullofelves/pseuds/Alexandria
Summary: Astrid wakes up on Niska's sofa - again.





	Forever Tuesday Morning

The sun shone through the room until it was too bright for Astrid to sleep any more. She opened her eyes, blinked, then rubbed the sleep out of them, groaning. Her neck hurt like a bitch. She sat up, noticing that Niska, the woman she’d gone home with last night, was absent.

“Yeah, you need a bed,” she declared, massaging her aching neck.

Sleeping on an old sofa hadn’t been at all comfortable. Not that she’d slept much, anyway – she was working evenings this week, and her friends had invited her out on a Monday night that had ended with them all at the club and trying to pull. Astrid had been the last woman standing, and it had been almost midnight when she’d approached Niska, and even later when they’d got back to Niska’s place. By the time they’d been ready for bed, it had been almost dawn.

Astrid grabbed the sheet she’d slept under and wrapped it around herself. Her head hurt, and so did her whole body, including places that had a more pleasant ache.

Niska walked into the room, dressed and looking calm and fresh. Astrid frowned at her as she sat down next to Astrid.

“You look amazing,” Astrid commented in a sleepy drawl. “How much did you drink last night?”

“Much less than you,” Niska replied with a wry smile. “How’s your head?”

Astrid groaned. “I’m never drinking again.”

Niska just smirked. “If you want a shower, it’s through there.” She pointed to the bathroom.

“Thanks.”

Astrid grabbed the sheet, picked up her clothes, and waddled into the bathroom. Since she was a guest in an almost-stranger’s home, she took the quickest shower she could while also cleaning every part of herself. When she emerged from the bathroom, she felt more refreshed, though her headache remained.

She found Niska standing by the window, looking at what must’ve been her phone, with an anxious expression on her face. She wasn’t smiling when she looked up and saw Astrid.

“I should go,” Astrid decided, reading the room.

Niska nodded. “Okay. I’ll show you out.”

In awkward silence, they walked out of the apartment together, Astrid kicking herself for walking out on a beautiful woman so early in the day.

“I guess this is it,” she said when Niska opened the door of the building, holding it open for her.

Niska’s face was neutral. “I guess it is.”

“Goodbye, then. Have a nice day.”

“Bye.”

Astrid nodded, and walked out the door. A few steps later, she looked back, but Niska had disappeared.

She hadn’t gone much further when she realised she hadn’t asked for Niska’s phone number. She swore, disappointed at herself for letting the opportunity pass by.

* * *

The sun shone into the room until it was too bright for Astrid to sleep any more. She opened her eyes, blinked, then rubbed the sleep out of them, groaning. Her neck hurt like a bitch. She sat up.

“Yeah, you need a bed,” she declared, massaging her aching neck.

Hang on a minute.

She stood up so fast her head swam, which didn’t help her hangover. She paused. Why was she still hungover?

When Niska walked into the room, Astrid was too surprised to notice that the sheet that had been covering her had fallen, exposing her naked body.

“What are you doing here?” She frowned.

Niska stared. “I live here,” she said. “Don’t you remember coming with me last night? From the club?”

Astrid knew it was rude, but she threw on her clothes and ran. She couldn’t deal with this weirdness right now on top of a killer hangover.

* * *

The sun shone into the room until it was too bright for Astrid to sleep any longer. She opened her eyes, blinked, then rubbed the sleep away, groaning. Her neck hurt like a bitch. She sat up and said, “Yeah, you need a bed.”

Then she groaned, realising it was happening again.

She grabbed the sheet and waddled into the bathroom. She poked her head out the door and yelled, “Do you mind if I take a shower?”

“Go right ahead,” replied Niska, appearing in the doorway.

Astrid smiled. “Want to join me?”

Niska hesitated, then said, “I don’t think so.”

Astrid’s face fell, and she prepared herself for another awkward exit. She really liked this woman she’d picked up in the club – felt a connection, even – and it was a shame to keep failing like this.

* * *

The sun shone into Astrid’s face, waking her. She blinked a few times and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, groaning. Her neck ached. She grabbed the sheet that covered her, and sat up.

“Yeah, you need a – _fuck_ ,” she groaned.

* * *

The sun in her face woke Astrid up, and she opened her eyes with a deep groan. Her head, her neck, her everything hurt. She sat up with a jerk as she recognised her surroundings.

“Not _again_ ,” she said to herself, sitting back until the back of her head hit the sofa.

She groaned, resigning herself to yet another awkward morning after.

* * *

The next time round, Astrid was ready to kill someone. This – whatever you could call it – was unbelievable, and yet it was all too real. It didn’t make any sense. The only higher power Astrid believed in was science, but this situation was straight out of a science-fiction series. It wasn’t fucking fair.

* * *

After the seventh time, she lost count.

* * *

Astrid woke up on Niska’s sofa, the sun in her eyes. Her whole body hurt, and she groaned as she sat up.

“Yeah, you need a bed,” she called to Niska.

Out of a combination of boredom and curiosity, she picked up one of the books lying around that she hadn’t had a look at yet. She was still skimming it when Niska came and sat down next to her on the sofa.

“So what are you doing in Berlin with just a bunch of dead white guys for company?” she asked, having noticed a common theme across the books in Niska’s collection.

Niska’s smile was slight, but it was there. “I was hoping they’d help me make a decision.”

“About what?”

Niska just looked at her, unwilling to answer. That was okay; Astrid had noticed the first time that Niska was very reserved. And to Niska, Astrid was little more than a stranger. Astrid couldn’t expect to get much of a personal answer out of someone so private.

She changed the subject, remembering the list in her head of ways she could make this morning not so awkward. There was one thing she hadn’t tried yet, and that was to go out together, perhaps to have breakfast. She asked Niska, in a tone that wasn’t so confident as to push her away, if she wanted to do something with her. She didn’t have work until five, after all.

This turned out to suit Niska, and the casual breakfast, which was brunch by the time they got there, in an open space served as an icebreaker. Far from the usual morning following a one-night stand, they talked about deep, existential stuff. Astrid enjoyed the stimulation.

They hung out for a while longer, then Niska walked Astrid to a bus stop. While they waited, Astrid fished in her jacket pockets for a pen and something to write on. All she found was a paper napkin, but it would have to do. She wrote her number on it and presented it to Niska.

“This has been fun,” she said. “Call me if you want to do it again sometime.”

“I will,” Niska promised, taking the napkin as the bus rolled up.

Astrid grinned. “Then I’ll see you around.”

She leapt onto the bus and waved at Niska as it drove away.

This was the first time they’d parted with a promise to see each other again, but that might not mean anything. As she sank into her seat, she sighed. She’d now gone through all the options on her list. She had no idea what she was going to do tomorrow.

* * *

The sun, shining into the room with a too-bright glare, woke Astrid from her deep slumber. She opened her eyes, rubbed the sleep from them, and blinked. She sat up and said, out of unbreakable habit, “Yeah, you need a – _oh_.”

She was in her own bed.

She picked up her phone to check the time. A notification showed she’d received a text from an unknown number. She frowned until she read it and saw it was from Niska. Then she grinned, and got out of bed to make herself some coffee. Today – Wednesday – she was going to live on her own terms. And she would definitely see Niska later.

She laughed in relief that this was over, and in amusement that all it had taken to break the cycle was brunch with a woman she was halfway towards falling for. What a good millennial she was.


End file.
